Morris tribune., 1887-12-14
A ChIoTofornn Fiend.
st. James Gazette.

II shouldn't do this; It's horribly uh-
professional, you know" Then he
took little bottle, and with small
glass measure he carefully melted out
the dose. "There are thirty drops OF
pure chloroform here" he said.
"When you go to bed pour the chloro-
form upon the centre of afolded hand
kerchief, lie upon your side on the
edge of your pillow and inhale the
drug, carefully keeping your mouth
closed. Sniff away at it just. as if 1t
were smelling salts; the pain will dis
appear, and you will sleep like top.
How longed for night. When it
arrived l jumped into bed: Having
lowered the gas took the folded
handkerchief, empited the contents OF
the little bottle upon it's centre, laid
my head upon the edge of the pillow,
closed my eyes and mouth and pro-
ceeded to inhale as directed. Gradual
ly, yet rapidly, feeling of drowsiness
crept upon me. First seemed to be
looking upon a black and inky dark
ness; then the darkness seemed softly
illuminated by minute points OF light
like distant stars. Presently the light
of these stars became more intense,
and l noticed that they were arranged
in innumerable parallel rows. 1t
gave me strange pleasure to gaze up
on them. Now the PAIN in my lace
disappeared, the stars seemed to grow
brighter and to increase IN size. Then
suddenly they all began to revolve
at the same instant. gazed at them
with a sort OF pleased astonlshment
and curiosity. As l gazed they re-
volved still more rapidly; then Iheard
a putting noise, which increased in
rapidity, exactly resembling the
sound made by q distant engine leav-
ing g. station, and then l sank into a
deep, tranquil, dreamless sleep which
lasted all the night. In the morning
| awoke greatly refreshed and the
pam in my face had gone.
But again that night sleep avoided
me. l counted 1000, / repeated the
multiplication table, I tried to picture
in my minds eye an innumerable
succession of sheep jumping over
a hurdle, l tried to recall the
last Sundays SERMON; all to no
avail. Morning came to find me still
weary and wakeful, and so resolved
to call again upon my friend, the den
list. did so. But my visit was not
altogether a success. On learning what
l wanted my friend sternly refused
fresh supplies. Chloroform, he said,
was dangerous drug; to use it ohce
was we'll enough; the habit OF taking
it was worse than dram drinking,
BY the exercise of some ingenuity |
became possessed of a pound bottle of
chloroform and two drachm glass
measure graduated in drops. And now
| found myself in possession OF pan
acea more potent than poppy or
mandragora, or all the dropsv syrups
of the world" Every night l used to
procure sound and comfortable sleep
and | went on doing so unconscious OF
my danger. For three whole months
| continued this course. The habit
had mastered me from the first. This
is an honest confession and not a SER
mon, and / am bound. tosstate that
the only Inconvenience l ever expert
encedwas slight feeling ofnausea IN the
morning. Two distinct desires irreslstl-
bly, prompted me-the one an intense
longing for sleep and a refuge from men
tai worry, the other laundering after
the pleasurable sensations which the
inhalation of the drug invaribly pro-
duced. / would fancy myself stretched
in luxurious enjoyment upon a soft
silken couch, gazing upon a wall up
holstered like the interior OF q first
class railway carriage. Only that the
walls were covered with satin of deli
cate texture and The softest col0rs, on
which the eye delighted to dwell. After
a while the little buttons on the wall
would gradually become luminous and
commence to rotate, slowly at first,
but with rapidly increasing velocity.
As they grew larger and brighter,
sweet odors seemed to arise about
me; then / would hear the sound OF
the engine leaving the station, and l
sank away in sleep. The illusions
were always pleasant. and generally
more delightful to the sight than to
any of the other senses. There was
sort OF telling as of the Disqualification OF
a violent curiosity. AS soon as in
hailed the drug the anticipation OF
some delightful vision came over me,
and was never disappointed. The
visions were always beautiful, often
complicated, sometimes exceedingly
minute, generally in monochrome, but
often in the most brilliant colors.
What l saw always appeared at first
in a state of rest, but a regular and
increasing motion was developed, the
picture became more vivid, the puff
ing noise invariably supervened, fol.
lowed by sound and undisturbed
slumber.
By that time the habit had taken
such hold upon me that during the
daytime could think OF little else
but my pleasure to come. To pro.
duce the desired effect the dose had
been slowly increased. l now was in;
haling regularly sixty drops every
night.
Probably should not be here to tell